Chapter 28:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Malachi Mark
Matthew 28
Concise Complete
Christ's resurrection. (1-8) He appears to the women.
(9,10) Confession of the soldiers. (11-15) Christ's commission to his disciples.
(16-20)
Verses 1-8 Christ
rose the third day after his death; that was the time he had often spoken of. On
the first day of the first week God commanded the light to shine out of
darkness. On this day did He who is the Light of the world, shine out of the
darkness of the grave; and this day is from henceforward often mentioned in the
New Testament, as the day which Christians religiously observed in solemn
assemblies, to the honour of Christ. Our Lord Jesus could have rolled back the
stone by his own power, but he chose to have it done by an angel. The
resurrection of Christ, as it is the joy of his friends, so it is the terror and
confusion of his enemies. The angel encouraged the women against their fears.
Let the sinners in Zion be afraid. Fear not ye, for his resurrection will be
your consolation. Our communion with him must be spiritual, by faith in his
word. When we are ready to make this world our home, and to say, It is good to
be here, then let us remember our Lord Jesus is not here, he is risen; therefore
let our hearts rise, and seek the things that are above. He is risen, as he
said. Let us never think that strange which the word of Christ has told us to
expect; whether the sufferings of this present time, or the glory that is to be
revealed. It may have a good effect upon us, by faith to view the place where
the Lord lay. Go quickly. It was good to be there, but the servants of God have
other work appointed. Public usefulness must be chosen before the pleasure of
secret communion with God. Tell the disciples, that they may be comforted under
their present sorrows. Christ knows where his disciples dwell, and will visit
them. Even to those at a distance from the plenty of the means of grace, he will
graciously manifest himself. The fear and the joy together quickened their pace.
The disciples of Christ should be forward to make known to each other their
experiences of communion with their Lord; and should tell others what God has
done for their souls.
Verses 9-10
God's gracious visits usually meet us in the way of duty; and to those who use
what they have for others' benefit, more shall be given. This interview with
Christ was unexpected; but Christ was nigh them, and still is nigh us in the
word. The salutation speaks the good-will of Christ to man, even since he
entered upon his state of exaltation. It is the will of Christ that his people
should be a cheerful, joyful people, and his resurrection furnishes abundant
matter for joy. Be not afraid. Christ rose from the dead, to silence his
people's fears, and there is enough in that to silence them. The disciples had
just before shamefully deserted him in his sufferings; but, to show that he
could forgive, and to teach us to do so, he calls them brethren. Notwithstanding
his majesty and purity, and our meanness and unworthiness, he still condescends
to call believers his brethren.
Verses 11-15
What wickedness is it which men will not be brought to by the love of money!
Here was large money given to the soldiers for advancing that which they knew to
be a lie, yet many grudge a little money for advancing what they know to be the
truth. Let us never starve a good cause, when we see bad ones so liberally
supported. The priests undertook to secure them from the sword of Pilate, but
could not secure these soldiers from the sword of God's justice, which hangs
over the heads of those that love and make a lie. Those men promise more than
they can perform, who undertake to save a man harmless in doing a wilful sin.
But this falsehood disproved itself. Had the soldiers been all asleep, they
could not have known what passed. If any had been awake, they would have roused
the others and prevented the removal; and certainly if they had been asleep,
they never would have dared to confess it; while the Jewish rulers would have
been the first to call for their punishment. Again, had there been any truth in
the report, the rulers would have prosecuted the apostles with severity for it.
The whole shows that the story was entirely false. And we must not charge such
things to the weakness of the understanding, but to the wickedness of the heart.
God left them to expose their own course. The great argument to prove Christ to
be the Son of God, is his resurrection; and none could have more convincing
proofs of the truth of that than these soldiers; yet they took bribes to hinder
others from believing. The plainest evidence will not affect men, without the
work of the Holy Spirit.
Verses 16-20
This evangelist passes over other appearances of Christ, recorded by Luke and
John, and hastens to the most solemn; one appointed before his death, and after
his resurrection. All that see the Lord Jesus with an eye of faith, will worship
him. Yet the faith of the sincere may be very weak and wavering. But Christ gave
such convincing proofs of his resurrection, as made their faith to triumph over
doubts. He now solemnly commissioned the apostles and his ministers to go forth
among all nations. The salvation they were to preach, is a common salvation;
whoever will, let him come, and take the benefit; all are welcome to Christ
Jesus. Christianity is the religion of a sinner who applies for salvation from
deserved wrath and from sin; he applies to the mercy of the Father, through the
atonement of the incarnate Son, and by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit,
and gives up himself to be the worshipper and servant of God, as the Father,
Son, and Holy Ghost, three Persons but one God, in all his ordinances and
commandments. Baptism is an outward sign of that inward washing, or
sanctification of the Spirit, which seals and evidences the believer's
justification. Let us examine ourselves, whether we really possess the inward
and spiritual grace of a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness, by
which those who were the children of wrath become the children of God. Believers
shall have the constant presence of their Lord always; all days, every day.
There is no day, no hour of the day, in which our Lord Jesus is not present with
his churches and with his ministers; if there were, in that day, that hour, they
would be undone. The God of Israel, the Saviour, is sometimes a God that hideth
himself, but never a God at a distance. To these precious words Amen is added.
Even so, Lord Jesus, be thou with us and all thy people; cause thy face to shine
upon us, that thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all
nations.
Chapter 28:
| Darby
| Geneva
| Gill
| Jamieson Faussett Brown
| Johnson
| Lightfoot
| Matthew Henry
| Matthew Henry Concise
| McGarvey Pendleton
| Wesley
| Index
| Bible Gateway |
Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Malachi Mark
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy
Joshua
Judges
Ruth
1 Samuel
2 Samuel
1 Kings
2 Kings
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalm
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
Matthew
Mark
Luke
John
Acts
Romans
1 Corinthians
2 Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1 Thessalonians
2 Thessalonians
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1 Peter
2 Peter
1 John
2 John
3 John
Jude
Revelation
