Bibelkommentare

In the foregoing chapters, we saw the Captain of our salvation engaged with the powers of darkness, attacked by them, and vigorously attacking them; victory seemed to hover between the combatants; nay, at length, it inclined to the enemies' side, and our Champion fell before them; behold, God has delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemies' hand. Christ in the grave is like the ark in Dagon's temple; the powers of darkness seemed to ride masters, but then the Lord awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine, Ps 78:61,65. The prince of our peace is in this chapter rallying again, coming out of the grave, a Conqueror, yea, more than a conqueror, leading captivity captive; though the ark be a prisoner, Dagon falls before it, and it proves that none is able to stand before the holy Lord God. Now the resurrection of Christ being one of the main foundations of our religion, it is requisite that we should have infallible proofs of it; four of which proofs we have in this chapter, which are but a few of many, for Luke and John give a larger account of the proofs of Christ's resurrection than Matthew and Mark do. Here is, I. The testimony of the angel to Christ's resurrection, Mt 28:1-8. II. His appearance himself to the women, Mt 28:9,10. III. The confession of the adversaries that were upon the guard, Mt 28:11-15. IV. Christ's appearance to the disciples in Galilee, and the commission he gave them, Mt 28:16-20.

Harmony of the Accounts of the Resurrection, Appearances, and Ascension of Christ

I. The Resurrection

As much difficulty has been felt in reconciling the accounts of the different evangelists respecting the resurrection of Christ, and as infidels have maintained that they are utterly irreconcilable, it may be proper, in closing the notes on Matthew, to give these accounts at one view. One thing should always be borne in mind by all who read the Gospels, namely, that the sacred narrative of an event is what it is declared to be by all the evangelists. That a thing is omitted by one does not prove that another is false because he has recorded it, for the very object of the different Gospels was to give the testimony of independent witnesses to the great facts of the life and death of Jesus. Nor does it prove that there is a contradiction because one relates facts in a different order from another, for neither of them professes to relate facts in the precise order in which they occurred. The object was to relate the facts themselves. With these principles in view, which are conceded to profane historians always, let us look at the accounts which are presented in the sacred narrative respecting the resurrection, appearance, and ascension of Christ.

1. Jesus was laid in the tomb on Friday evening, having been wrapped in linen with myrrh and aloes in a hurried manner, John 19:39-40. The women, not apprised of that, or desiring also to testify their regard for him, prepared spices on the same evening to embalm him, Luke 23:56. As it was too late that night to complete the preparation, they deferred it until the first day of the week, resting on the Sabbath, Luke 23:56.

2. On the first day of the week, early, the women completed their preparation, purchased more spices, and properly mixed them to make an unguent to anoint the bandages in which the body was rolled, Mark 16:1. Or this may refer to the purchase which is mentioned by Luke, meaning that they had bought them - that is, on Friday evening.

3. They came to the grave just as the day began to dawn, or just as the light appeared in the east, yet so dark as to render objects indistinct. It was "in the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week," Matthew 28:1. "Very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun," or as the sun was about to rise, Mark 16:2. "Very early in the morning," Luke 24:1. "Early, while it was yet dark," John 20:1.

4. Those who came were Mary Magdalene, Matthew 28:1; John 20:1; Mary the mother of James and Joses, Matthew 28:1; Luke 24:10; Mark 15:40; Salome, the wife of Zebedee, and mother of James and John, compare Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40; Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, compare Luke 24:10; Luke 8:3; and certain others not specified, Luke 24:1, Luke 24:10.

5. The objects of their coming were:

(1) to see the grave, Matthew 28:1.

(2) to embalm him, or to finish embalming him, Mark 16:1; Luke 24:1.

6. While on the way they inquired who should roll away the stone for them, that they might have access to the body of Jesus, Mark 16:3.

7. When they arrived they found that there had been an earthquake or shaking of the tomb, so that the stone was rolled away, Matthew 28:2; Mark 16:4.

8. The angel who rolled the stone away had sat down on it, and had appeared to the keepers and frightened them; though he did not appear in this place to the women, but only to the keepers, Matthew 28:2-4. At that time, probably our Saviour had risen how long before the women came is not known and cannot be ascertained.

9. When they came there, Mary Magdalene, greatly agitated with the appearance of things, and probably supposing that the body had been stolen, left the other women, and ran to the city, at the distance of half a mile, to inform the disciples, John 20:2.

10. While Mary was gone, the others probably looked around the garden in search of the body, and then came and examined the grave to see if it was not there. The tomb was large, and they entered into it. There "the angel spake unto them," Matthew 28:5. "They saw a young man" - that is, an angel in the appearance of a young man - "sitting on the right side," Mark 16:5. When they entered he was sitting; as they entered he rose and stood, Luke 24:4. Luke adds that there was another with him, Luke 24:4; this other one was not seen when they entered into the grave at the time mentioned by Mark, but was seen when they had fully entered in, as mentioned by Luke.

11. The angel charged them to go and tell the disciples and Peter, Matthew 28:7; Mark 16:7; and to assure them that he would see them in Galilee. He also reminded them of what Jesus had said when they were in Galilee, Luke 24:6-7.

12. They went immediately toward the city, yet taking a different way from the one that Mary had taken, or going in such a way that they did not meet her when she was returning from the city with Peter and John, Matthew 28:8, Mark 16:8. "They said nothing to any man," Luke 24:9-10. In Luke 24:10 it is said that it was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, that told these things to the disciples. Not that Luke affirms that they were together when they told them, but that the information was given by them, though perhaps at different times.

13. While they were gone Mary Magdalene returned to the grave, following Peter and John, who came running, John 20:2-9. They examined the grave, and found that the body was really gone, but as yet they did not know the reason, not having seen the other women to whom the angel had told the cause, and Mary Magdalene having left the women before the angel had spoken to them. As yet, therefore, she was ignorant of the reason of his removal.

14. Peter and John then left the grave, returned to the city, and left Mary alone, John 20:10.

15. While Mary was there alone she looked into the grave, and saw two angels, probably the same that had appeared to the other women, John 20:11-13.

16. Jesus appeared to Mary while she sat alone at the grave, John 20:14-18. Thus, according to Mark Mar 16:9, he appeared to Mary Magdalene "first."

17. Mary then went to tell the disciples that she had seen him, but they did not fully believe her, John 20:18; Mark 16:10-11.

18. Afterward Jesus appeared to the other women, Matthew 28:9; "As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail." This would seem, in Matthew, to be immediately after they left the grave the first time; but many critics observe that the words "to tell his disciples" are missing in many manuscripts, and of doubtful authority. It may be further said that the words "as they were going" might have been rendered "after they were gone." They do not imply of necessity that the appearance took place immediately, but only after they were gone, without specifying the time. Probably it was not long after he had appeared to Mary Magdalene. They would naturally return to the disciples, and linger around there, that they might ascertain what had become of him, or learn whether he had been seen by anyone. It was, then, probably after they had been away and returned, and after he had been seen by Mary, that they saw him.

II. Appearances of Jesus after the Resurrection

1. To Mary Magdalene, John 20:14; Mark 16:9.

2. To the other women, Matthew 28:9.

3. To Peter, 1 Corinthians 15:5; Luke 24:34.

4. To two disciples as they were going to Emmaus, Mark 16:12-13; Luke 24:13-32.

5. The same day, at evening, to the apostles, in the absence of Thomas, 1 Corinthians 15:5; Mark 16:14; Luke 24:36; John 20:19, John 20:24.

6. To the apostles when Thomas was present, John 20:24-29.

7. In Galilee, at the Sea of Tiberias, to Peter, Thomas, Nathaniel, James and John, and two others, John 21:1-14. This is said to be the third time that he showed himself to the disciples - that is, to the apostles when they were assembled together, John 21:14.

8. To the disciples on a mountain in Galilee, Matthew 28:16.

9. To more than 500 brethren at once, 1 Corinthians 15:6.

10. To James, one of the apostles, 1 Corinthians 15:7.

11. To all the apostles assembled together, 1 Corinthians 15:7. He was seen by them forty days after he rose - probably conversing with them familiarly.

12. To the apostles at his ascension, Luke 24:50-51; Acts 1:9-10.

13. To Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:8; Acts 9:3-5; Acts 22:6-10.

III. The Ascension

1. It was forty days after his resurrection Acts 1:3.

2. He ascended from the Mount of Olives, near Bethany, Luke 24:50; Acts 1:12.

3. It was in the presence of all the apostles, Luke 24:50; Acts 1:9-10.

4. He was received into a cloud, and ascended to heaven, Acts 1:9, Acts 1:11; Luke 24:51; Ephesians 1:20-22.

The resurrection of Christ declared by an angel to the two Marys at the sepulchre, Matthew 28:1-6. They are commissioned to announce this to the disciples, Matthew 28:7. They go, and are met by Christ himself who promises to meet the disciples in Galilee, Matthew 28:8-10. The watch go into the city, and report to the chief priests what had taken place, Matthew 28:11. They give them money, to say that his disciples had stolen the body by night, while they slept, Matthew 28:12-15. Christ meets the eleven disciples in a mountain of Galilee, Matthew 28:16, Matthew 28:17. He gives them a commission to preach the Gospel throughout the earth; to baptize in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; and promises to be with them to the end of the world, Matthew 28:18-20.

CHAPTER 28.

THE RESURRECTION AND THE GREAT COMMISSION.

CHAPTER 28

Matthew 28:2. ἀπὸ τ. θύρας] is wanting in B D א, 60, 84, Vulg. It. Or. Dion. Deleted by Lachm. and Tisch. Exegetical addition, which many witnesses have supplemented still further by adding τοῦ μνημείου (Mark 16:3).

Matthew 28:6. ὁ κύριος] is wanting, no doubt, only in B א, 33, 102, Copt. Aeth. Arm. Ar.pol. one Cod. of the It. Or.int. Chrys.; but, with Tisch., it is to be condemned. This designation is foreign to Matth., while as “gloriosa appellatio” (Bengel) it was more liable to be inserted than omitted.

Matthew 28:8. ἐξελθ.] Tisch.: ἀπελθ., following B C L א, 33, 69, 124. Correctly; the more significant reading of the Received text is derived from Mark.

Matthew 28:9. Before καὶ ἰδού the Received text inserts: ὡς δὲ ἐπορεύοντο ἀπαγγεῖλαι τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ. No Such clause is found in B D א, min. Syr. Ar.pol. Perss. Copt. Arm. Vulg. Sax. It. Or. Eus. Jer. Aug. Defended by Griesb. Matth. Fritzsche, Scholz, Bornem. (Schol. in Luc. p. xxxix.); condemned by Mill, Bengel, Gersd., Schulz, Rinck, Lachm., Tisch. There would be nothing feeble or awkward about the words if thus inserted, on the contrary, the effect would be somewhat solemn (see Bornem.); but seeing that they are wanting in witnesses so ancient and so important, and seeing that ὡς is not found in this sense anywhere else in Matth. (other grammatical grounds mentioned by Gersd. are untenable), there is reason to suspect that they are an early addition for the sake of greater precision.

Matthew 28:11. For ἀπήγγ. read, with Tisch. 8, ἀνήγγ., though only in accordance with D א, Or. Chrys. The Received reading is taken from Matthew 28:10, while ἀναγγέλλειν occurs nowhere else in Matthew.

Matthew 28:14. ἐπὶ τοῦ ἡγ.] Lachm.: ὑπὶ τοῦ ἡγ., following B D, 59, Vulg. It. But this is an explanatory correction in consequence of not catching the sense.

Matthew 28:15. Lachm. inserts ἡμέρας after σήμερον, in accordance with B D L. Correctly; as Matth. does not add ἡμέρ. in any other instance (Matthew 11:23, Matthew 27:8), it was more natural for the transcriber to omit than to insert it.

Matthew 28:17. αὐτῷ] is wanting in B D א, 33, 102, Vulg. It. Chrys. Aug. Deleted by Lachm. and Tisch. 8. A somewhat common addition, for which other MSS. (min.) have αὐτόν.

Matthew 28:19. After πορευθ. Elz. inserts οὖν, which is bracketed by Lachm. and deleted by Matth. and Tisch. Added as a connecting particle, but wanting in very important witnesses, while other and less important ones have νῦν.

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

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

Mt 27:56;

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

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.

In the end of the sabbath - The word "end" here means the same as "after" the Sabbath - that is, after the Sabbath was fully completed or finished, and may be expressed in this manner: "In the night following the Sabbath, for the Sabbath closed at sunset, as it began to dawn," etc.

As it began to dawn toward the first day of the week - The word "dawn" is not of necessity in the original. The word there properly means as the first day "approached," or drew on, without specifying the precise time. Mark says Mark 16:1-2 that it was after "the sabbath was past, and very early in the morning, at the rising of the sun" - that is, not that the sun "was risen," but that it was about to rise, or at the early break of day. Luke says Luke 24:1 that it was "very early in the morning;" in the Greek text, "deep twilight," or when there was scarcely any light. John Joh 20:1 says it was "very early, while it was yet dark" - that is, it was not yet full daylight, or the sun had not yet risen. The time when they came, therefore, was at the break of day, when the sun was about to rise, but while it was yet so dark as to render objects obscure, or not distinctly visible.

The first day of the week - The day which is observed by Christians as the Sabbath. The Jews observed the seventh day of the week, or our Saturday. During that day our Saviour was in the grave. As he rose on the morning of the first day, that day has always been observed in commemoration of so glorious an event.

Came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary - From Mary Magdalene Christ had cast out seven devils. Grateful for his great mercy, she was one of his firmest and most faithful followers, and was first at the sepulchre, and was first permitted to see her risen Lord. The "other Mary" was not the mother of Jesus, but the mother of James and Joses (Mark). Mark says that "Salome" attended them. Salome was the wife of Zebedee, and the mother of James and John. From Luke Luke 24:10 it appears that Joanna, wife of Chusa, Herod's steward (see Luke 8:3), was with them. These four women, Mark says Mark 16:1, having bought sweet spices, came to anoint him. They had prepared a part of them on the evening before the Sabbath, Luke 23:56. They now, according to Mark, completed the preparation and bought more; or the meaning in Mark may be merely that, "having bought" sweet spices, without specifying the time when, they came now to embalm him. John mentions only Mary Magdalene. He does this, probably, because his object was to give a particular account of her interview with the risen Saviour. There is no contradiction among the evangelists; for while one mentions only the names of a part of those who were there, he does not deny that "others" were present also. It is an old maxim, that "he who mentions a few does not deny that there are more."

To see the sepulchre - To see whether was as it had been left on the evening when he was laid there. To see if the stone was still there, by which they would know that he had not been removed. Mark and Luke say that the design of their coming was to anoint him with the sweet spices which they had prepared. Matthew does not mention that, but he does not "deny" that that was the ultimate design of their coming. It is not improbable that they might have known the manner in which he was buried, with a large quantity of myrrh and aloes; but that was done in haste - it was done by depositing the myrrh and aloes, without mixture or preparation, in the grave-clothes. They came that they might embalm his body more deliberately, or at least that they might "anoint the bandages" and complete the work of embalming.