After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.
2 And look — there was a great earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the stone, rolled it away, and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards shook with fear at the sight of him and became like dead men.
5 The angel spoke to the women: “Don’t be afraid. I know you’re looking for Jesus, the one who was crucified. 6 He is not here — he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying. 7 Now go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead, and look — he’s going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there.’ Listen, I’ve told you.”
8 So they hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And look — Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” They came to him, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee. They will see me there.”
11 While they were on their way, some of the guards went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened.[1] 12 After meeting with the elders and coming up with a plan, they gave a large sum of money to the soldiers 13 and told them: “Say this — ‘His disciples came at night and stole the body while we were sleeping.’ 14 And if this reaches the governor’s ears, we’ll smooth things over with him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been spread among the Jews right up to this very day.[2]
16 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him — but some hesitated, unsure.[3]
18 Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 So go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And look — I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”[4]
Notes
Note 1. The word behind “guards” is koustōdia (κουστωδία), a Latin loanword — custodia — carried over into Greek. The borrowed term points toward a Roman detachment rather than temple police, though the text alone doesn’t settle it. A Roman soldier who fell asleep on watch could face execution. ↩
Note 2. The phrase “to this very day” (μέχρι τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας) looks back across a stretch of time. Matthew makes a similar remark at 27:8. ↩
Note 3. The Greek verb here, edistasan (ἐδίστασαν), comes from a root meaning to be pulled two ways — to waver or hesitate. It describes a divided mind rather than flat rejection, so “hesitated, unsure” catches it better than a blunt “doubted.” The same word appears when Peter falters on the water in Matthew 14. ↩
Note 4. The Greek reads heōs tēs synteleias tou aiōnos — literally “until the consummation of the age.” It is the language of Jewish apocalyptic hope: the completing of the present age rather than simply the end of the world. Matthew uses the same phrase when the disciples ask about the end in chapter 24. ↩