Matthew 28 is the final chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, and it answers the question that the whole book has been building toward: what happened after Jesus was crucified? It records the discovery of the empty tomb, the risen Jesus meeting his followers, and the commission he gives them before he leaves. People read it to understand the resurrection in Matthew’s own words and to see how the Gospel ends with a mission rather than a farewell.
Matthew 28 Summary
The chapter opens at dawn on the first day of the week, when Mary Magdalene and another Mary go to the tomb. An earthquake and an angel roll back the stone, and the guards are struck with fear. The angel tells the women that Jesus is not there because he has risen, and sends them to tell the disciples that he will meet them in Galilee. On their way, Jesus himself appears to them and repeats the instruction.
The chapter then turns to the guards, who report to the chief priests. The priests pay them to spread a false story that the disciples stole the body, and Matthew notes that this explanation was still being circulated in his own time. The final scene moves to a mountain in Galilee, where the eleven disciples see Jesus, some still doubting. He declares that all authority belongs to him and sends them out to make disciples of every nation, closing with his promise to be with them always.
Background and Setting
The Gospel of Matthew is traditionally attributed to Matthew, one of the twelve disciples, though most scholars do not hold that the book was written by him directly and instead date it to roughly the 80s or 90s AD. It was written for a community that included many Jewish believers, and it repeatedly presents Jesus as the fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures and the promised king of Israel.
Chapter 28 sits at the very end of the book, after the crucifixion narrative in chapters 26 and 27. Where earlier chapters trace Jesus’s teaching and ministry, this final chapter shifts the focus to his authority over death and to the mission he hands on. Its placement makes the commission the natural conclusion of everything that has come before.
Matthew 28 Section by Section
Verses 1-7: The Empty Tomb and the Angel’s Message
5 The angel answered the women, “Don’t be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, just like he said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.
Matthew 28:5-6 (WEB)
The women arrive expecting to care for a body, but they find the tomb open and an angel sitting on the stone. The angel’s words are direct: the one they seek is not there, because he has been raised as he said he would be. Matthew uses the earthquake and the lightning-like figure to show that something beyond ordinary experience has taken place.
The angel also gives them a task. They are to tell the disciples that Jesus is going ahead of them to Galilee. The message holds both comfort and promise, since the failed followers are not abandoned but invited to see him again.
Verses 8-10: The Women Meet the Risen Jesus
9 As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, “Rejoice!” They came and took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Go tell my brothers that they should go into Galilee, and there they will see me.”
Matthew 28:9-10 (WEB)
The women leave the tomb with a mixture of fear and joy and begin to run. Jesus meets them on the way, greets them, and they respond by falling at his feet in worship. Matthew shows that the first witnesses of the resurrection are women, and that their testimony is given a direct encounter with the risen Lord.
Jesus repeats the instruction about Galilee and speaks of the disciples as his brothers. The word choice points to a restored relationship after the abandonment of the cross, and it assures the disciples that the Lord they failed still claims them.
Verses 11-15: The Guards and the False Story
13 Saying, “Say that his disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept. 14 If this comes to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him and make you free of worry.”
Matthew 28:13-14 (WEB)
Matthew then shows the opposition to the resurrection. The guards report what they saw, and the chief priests respond not by investigating but by paying the soldiers to say the disciples stole the body. The lie is designed to protect the authorities from the claim that Jesus is alive.
The passage is sober about the limits of human resistance. Money and rumor can spread, and Matthew records that the story was still in circulation when he wrote. Readers are reminded that the resurrection faced both belief and deliberate denial from the start.
Verses 16-17: The Disciples on the Mountain
16 But the eleven disciples went into Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had sent them. 17 When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted.
Matthew 28:16-17 (WEB)
The eleven disciples go to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus told them to meet him. When they see him, they worship, but Matthew notes that some doubted. The honesty of this detail is striking, because it shows the early community did not hide its uncertainty even at the moment of its greatest encounter.
The scene holds together faith and doubt without resolving the tension neatly. Jesus does not rebuke them here but moves straight to speak, which suggests that the presence of the risen Lord is what answers doubt over time.
Verses 18-20: The Great Commission
18 Jesus came to them and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 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 observe all things that I commanded you. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.
Matthew 28:18-20 (WEB)
Jesus declares that all authority in heaven and on earth has been given to him, and on that basis sends the disciples out to make disciples of all nations. They are to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit and to teach obedience to everything he commanded. This is the sending that gives the rest of the Gospel its purpose.
The chapter ends with the promise that he will be with them always, even to the end of the age. The Gospel closes not with an ending but with a presence, leaving the reader to take up the mission in the same confidence the first disciples were given.
Key Themes in Matthew 28
- Resurrection: The empty tomb and the appearances of Jesus confirm that death has not held him, and that his promises are reliable.
- Authority: Jesus claims all authority in heaven and on earth, which grounds the mission he gives.
- Mission: The disciples are sent to make disciples of every nation, so the Gospel moves outward rather than staying in one place.
- Faith and doubt: Matthew records worship alongside uncertainty, showing that belief can coexist with questions.
- Presence: The promise to be with the disciples always gives the mission its lasting source of strength.
Lessons From Matthew 28 for Today
Many people carry a quiet sense that their failures have put them outside God’s reach, much like the disciples who fled. Matthew 28 shows Jesus seeking out his followers again and calling them brothers, which offers a model for how you might approach your own failures. Returning to God does not require having everything resolved first.
The chapter also speaks to anyone who feels unsure in their faith. Some of the eleven doubted even as they worshiped, and Jesus met them rather than sending them away. If you are wrestling with questions this week, the presence of the risen Lord is what the chapter points you toward.
Finally, the commission applies to ordinary daily life. Making disciples does not only happen in a pulpit. It can look like a conversation with a coworker, a patient teaching of a child, or a steady example of faithfulness in a neighborhood. The promise that Jesus is with you always means the task is not carried alone.
Questions for Reflection
- What does it mean to you that the first witnesses of the resurrection were women?
- How do you respond when you feel like the disciples who failed and fled?
- Where in your life do you find it hardest to hold faith and doubt together?
- What would it look like for you to take part in the commission to make disciples in your own setting?
- How does the promise that Jesus is with you always change the way you face a difficult season?
A Prayer From Matthew 28
Lord Jesus, you rose from the grave and went ahead of your disciples into Galilee. Meet me in my failures and my doubts the way you met those who ran from the tomb. Help me to worship you even when questions remain, and to trust your authority over every part of my life. Send me out with the same confidence you gave your first followers, and remind me that you are with me always. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who sees Jesus first after the resurrection in Matthew 28?
In Matthew’s account, the first people to meet the risen Jesus are Mary Magdalene and the other Mary. They are at the tomb, and Jesus meets them on their way to tell the disciples. Their witness is central to the chapter’s story.
What is the Great Commission?
The Great Commission is the command in Matthew 28:18-20 for the disciples to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them. It rests on Jesus’s claim to all authority. Many Christians see it as the basis for the church’s mission.
Why does Matthew mention a false story about the disciples?
Matthew records that the chief priests paid the guards to say the disciples stole Jesus’s body. He notes that this claim was still being spread in his own time. The detail shows that opposition to the resurrection began early.
