Who Are the First Witnesses of the Resurrection? You might be surprised! Matthew 28:1-10

Matthew 28:1-10 Jesus Has Risen

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. 2 There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. 4 The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men. 5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” 8 So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

We get to the last chapter of the book of Matthew.  Jesus has been crucified, died and was buried.  The Jewish leaders have done everything in their power to prevent the possibility of his disciples saying he was raised from the dead just as he said he would be.  The tomb is sealed shut and guards watch the tomb day and night with their lives on the line were Jesus' body to be found missing.  

And on what we now call "Sunday" the women who followed Jesus closely came to the tomb to pay their respects to their beloved rabbi.  Little did they know what they were going to encounter.  A violent earthquake and an angel of the Lord create an incredible scene for them as the are soon to encounter their Lord and Savior. 

Matthew is the only gospel writer who notes the earthquake. “The earth shook both at Christ’s passion and at his resurrection; then, to show that it could not bear his suffering; now, to show that it could not hinder his rising.” (Trapp) 

An angel had told the Virgin Mary about the son who would be born to her, and now an angel reveals to Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany about the Son's rising from the dead.  Rolling back the big slab was nothing for this powerful angel, and his appearance was so brilliant and awesome the guards "shook" and "became like dead men".  

"The Roman soldiers responsible for guarding the tomb were terrified. The angelic presence made these professional soldiers tremble and faint." (Guzik)

The angel tells the two women that Jesus is not there but had risen from the dead, just as he said he would. They showed them the place where he once laid in the empty tomb. The women leave with mixture of fear and joy.  

"Those women were later grateful that the angel told them to see the place where they laid Him. It would have – it should have – been enough to merely hear the testimony of the angel. Nevertheless, when they saw it, it gave them ground to stand on even more solid than the testimony of an angel. “One eye-witness is better than twenty ear-witnesses; men will believe what you have seen if they do not believe what you have heard.” (Spurgeon)

As the women scurried away in obedience to the angel's instruction, they run into to no other than the resurrected Jesus.  Jesus greets them and tells them to go and tell the disciples what they had heard and seen.  

“Not first to them who were the heads of the Church, as it were, but first of all to lowly women, did the Lord appear; and the apostles themselves had to go to school to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to learn that great truth, ‘The Lord is risen indeed.’” (Spurgeon)

Jesus as the women met the risen Lord through their obedience, we encounter Jesus when we step out in faith to meet him. The more we trust in him, the more he reveals himself to us.  It is an amazing fact that the first people to witness the risen Jesus were women, given their role in culture at that time.  In most courts women were not even allowed to be witnesses. but in the heavenly court the women were the first to testify that Jesus had risen from the dead!  

This unlikely scenario gives even more veractity to the truthfulness of the Gospel.  After all, who would have made up a story where women were the first to witness Jesus' resurrection.  These women were the first to go and spread the Good News. They were the first "evangelists"!

Why do you think the two Mary's are the first witnesses of the resurrection?  What does it show you about the gospel story?  What is the significance of Jesus' going ahead of them to Galilee?  Do you think Jesus still goes ahead of us today?  Where is Jesus calling you to step out in obedience where you might experience his resurrection power?