Matthew 28
The Lord Jesus had plainly said that the third day after His death He would rise again. The men who had caused His death remembered His words; the next day after His body was buried in the tomb and the big stone rolled over the entrance, they went to Pilate and asked him to make the tomb more secure, lest His disciples should go at night and take His body away and say He had risen.
Pilate told them to make the tomb as sure as they could. So those men sealed the stone of the tomb of Jesus, and left watchmen to keep guard day and night until after the third day. (Matt. 27:62-6662Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, 63Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. 64Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. 65Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. 66So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch. (Matthew 27:62‑66).)
But very early in the morning of the third day after the death of Jesus, there were events which no seal, or soldiers on guard, could hinder: there was a great earthquake, and an angel came from Heaven and rolled the great stone from before the tomb, and sat upon it. His garments were white as snow, and his face bright as lightning. The watchmen were so frightened they shook in fear and could not move.
At that time two women, both named Mary, who had known the Lord Jesus, came to the tomb. The angel spoke to them that Jesus was not in the tomb, but had risen, and for them to look in the tomb and see that He was not there. Then the angel told them to go tell His disciples.
The women were very happy to hear Jesus was risen, and started to go to the disciples. As they were going they met One greater than the angel, Jesus Himself! He spoke with them. and told them to tell the disciples that they should meet Him, as He had said.
These women had seen Jesus as He hung on the cross and gave up His life; they had seen Him taken down from the cross and carried to the tomb and buried, which had all been so sad to those who loved Him. Then to see Him alive, standing near and speaking to them, how wonderful the change! And they worshipped Him! Then they went to tell the disciples the joyous news.
There were others who went to tell the great events; they were the men who guarded the tomb. They went into the city and told the Jewish leaders, who had hired them, what had happened, and that Jesus was gone from the tomb.
When the leaders heard their story, they added another awful sin to what they had done against the Lord: they gave the watchmen a large sum of money to tell people that the disciples had come in the night and stolen the body of Jesus while they slept. The guards told that wicked lie, although they had felt the earthquake, and seen the angel, and knew Jesus had not been stolen away.
There is not much told by Matthew about the time the Lord Jesus was on earth after He arose, only that He met His disciples just as He had said He would, and that He told them to go to all people and teach them what He had taught them, and to baptize, which was a sign to others of what was believed, His last words given are,
“Lo I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”