Matthew 28
The story Christians tell at is not presented as myth or metaphor. It is rooted in real people, real places, and real events. And what you do with this story will shape your hope. Matthew 28 gives us a simple but life‑altering message: your risen King commissions you to participate in the spread of his righteous reign by making disciples.
The chapter opens with two women, Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary”, visiting Jesus’ tomb at dawn. They came not merely to look but, as Matthew’s Greek suggests, to ponder. They were grieving, confused, and trying to make sense of what had happened. Then the ground shook. The stone rolled away. And an angel announced, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.” Those last three words matter. As he said. Suddenly, what once seemed impossible now made sense. The women heard, saw, and believed.
Their response is instructive. First, they believed. The resurrection is the foundation of Christian hope because it confirms that Jesus was everything he claimed to be. If the hardest promise he ever made came true, then the rest of his words deserve our serious consideration as well. Many of us carry griefs, burdens, and unanswered questions. The resurrection does not erase every struggle, but it does promise forgiveness, new life, and a hope stronger than death.
Second, the women worshipped. We all worship something, whether success, acceptance, relationships, control, or something else. But these things cannot bear the weight of our deepest fears or longings. The women discovered that the One who seemed to disappoint them in death had actually defeated everything they feared most about life.
Third, they obeyed with joy. They ran to tell others.
But not everyone responded this way. The soldiers who witnessed the same events chose denial. Fear drove them to protect themselves rather than face the truth. That tension remains today. The resurrection is strange, unsettling, and unlike anything the world has seen. Yet the historical evidence still demands honest consideration.
Matthew ends with a call to action. The risen Jesus, holding “all authority in heaven and on earth,” sends his followers into the world to make disciples: helping people repent of their old way of life, learn his new way of life, and grow in faith and discover hope. This mission is not for experts or clergy alone. It is a way of life for anyone who trusts him.
So how will you respond? Believe. Worship. And join in spreading the hope of the risen King.
