"He Is Risen": What Matthew 28 Means for Christian Faith
The words "He is risen" stand at the center of Easter. Matthew 28 begins after Jesus has been killed and buried.
The words "He is risen" stand at the center of Easter.
Matthew 28 begins after Jesus has been killed and buried.
Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" approach the tomb.
They do not arrive expecting to find Jesus alive.
Matthew then describes an earthquake and an angel who rolls away the stone.
The announcement changes everything:
Jesus is not there.
He has risen.
The Context of Matthew 28
Matthew 27 ends with crucifixion, burial, grief, and guards at the tomb.
The first day of the week therefore begins in mourning, not celebration.
«He Is Not Here»
The empty tomb matters, but it does not interpret itself.
The angel explains the absence: Jesus has risen.
The Gospels later describe encounters between the risen Jesus and His followers.
Christian faith in resurrection rests not only on an empty tomb but also on testimony that Jesus was encountered alive after His death.
«As He Said»
The angel adds an important phrase: "as He said."
Throughout the Gospels, Jesus had told His disciples that He would suffer, die, and rise.
They did not fully understand those predictions before the crucifixion.
Fear and Joy
Matthew says the women leave with fear and great joy.
Both emotions appear together.
Biblical faith does not always erase fear instantly.
The women move forward even while processing something overwhelming.
The Role of Women
Women hold a decisive place in the resurrection narratives.
Matthew presents Mary Magdalene and the other Mary as receiving the announcement and being sent to tell the disciples.
Their testimony is preserved at the center of the Easter story.
Why Does Resurrection Matter?
Paul is direct in 1 Corinthians 15.
If Christ has not been raised, Christian preaching and faith lose their foundation.
Resurrection is not an optional addition to the cross.
It means death did not have the final word over Jesus.
It also grounds Christian hope for future resurrection.
Is Resurrection Only a Metaphor?
Not in the New Testament.
The early Christians certainly used resurrection as a source of hope and transformation, but they claimed something had actually happened to Jesus.
The symbolism grows out of an event they proclaimed as real.
«Go and Make Disciples»
Matthew 28 does not end at the tomb.
Jesus sends His disciples to make disciples of all nations.
Resurrection leads to mission.
«I Am With You»
Matthew ends with Jesus promising to remain with His followers.
This echoes the beginning of the Gospel, where Jesus is connected with the name Emmanuel, "God with us."
The Gospel closes with presence.
Resurrection and Everyday Life
Belief in resurrection does not mean problems disappear.
The first Christians still experienced loss, persecution, illness, and death.
Resurrection changes how those realities are understood.
Suffering can be real without being final.
Death can be feared without being treated as absolute.
Hope can exist without denying grief.
Conclusion
«He is risen" summarizes the decisive turn of Matthew 28.»
Death seemed to close the story.
Resurrection opens it again.
The women move from mourning to proclamation.
The disciples move toward a worldwide mission.
And Matthew ends not with absence, but with a promise of Christ's presence.
Key Biblical References
• Matthew 16:21
• Matthew 27:57-66
• Matthew 28:1-20
• Luke 24
• John 20
• Romans 1:4
• 1 Corinthians 15
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