Matthew 28:1–20

Jesus Has Risen

28:1–8pp—Mk 16:1–8; Lk 24:1–10; Jn 20:1–8

28After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene^p and the other Mary^q went to look at the tomb.

²There was a violent earthquake,^r for an angel^s of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone^t and sat on it. ³His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.^{u 4}The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

⁵The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid,^v for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. ⁶He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.^w Come and see the place where he lay. ⁷Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee.^x There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

⁸So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. ⁹Suddenly Jesus met them.^y “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. ¹⁰Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers^z to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

The Guards’ Report

¹¹While the women were on their way, some of the guards^a went into the city and reported to the chief priests everything that had happened. ¹²When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, ¹³telling them, “You are to say, ‘His disciples came during the night and stole him away^b while we were asleep.’ ¹⁴If this report gets to the governor,^c we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” ¹⁵So the soldiers took the money and did as they were instructed. And this story has been widely circulated among the Jews to this very day.

The Great Commission

¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.^{d 17}When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.^{e 19}Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,^f baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,^{g 20}and teaching^h them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with youⁱ always, to the very end of the age.”^j