Matthew 28 is the closing chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, and it answers the question most readers bring to the Easter story: what did the resurrection of Jesus mean, and what happens next? The chapter tells of women who go to the tomb at dawn, an earthquake and an angel, a cover-up attempt by the guards, a meeting with the risen Jesus, and the commission he gives his disciples to make disciples of all nations. Readers return to it because it moves from empty grave to worldwide mission in twenty short verses.
Matthew 28 Summary
The chapter opens on the first day of the week, when Mary Magdalene and another Mary come to look at the tomb. An angel appears, rolls back the stone, and tells the women that Jesus has risen and will meet his disciples in Galilee. They leave with fear and joy mixed together, and on the road Jesus himself meets them and tells them not to be afraid.
The story then turns to the guards, who report what happened to the chief priests. The priests pay them to spread a false account that the disciples stole the body. The focus returns to the eleven disciples, who go up to a mountain in Galilee, where Jesus appears to them, some still doubting. He declares his authority over heaven and earth and sends them out to make disciples, baptize, and teach. The Gospel ends with his promise to be with them always.
Background and Setting
The Gospel of Matthew is traditionally attributed to Matthew, one of the twelve apostles, and most scholars date its composition to roughly the 80s or 90s of the first century, though some place it earlier. It was written with a strong Jewish readership in mind, which is why it so often draws connections between Jesus and the Hebrew Scriptures and portrays him as a teacher in the line of Moses.
Chapter 28 completes the Gospel’s narrative arc. The earlier chapters tell of Jesus’ birth, teaching, miracles, and death, and this final chapter shows the resurrection and the commission that follows. It rounds off the book’s repeated emphasis on Jesus as the one who has authority, now confirmed by his victory over death.
Matthew 28 Section by Section
Verses 1-10: The Empty Tomb and the Risen Lord
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 find a grave, and instead they hear that the tomb is empty. The angel’s words are direct: the one they seek is not here, because he has risen as he said he would. The women are invited to look for themselves, which makes the emptiness part of the message rather than something they must take on faith.
Their reaction is a mixture of fear and great joy, and they run to tell the disciples. On the way Jesus meets them, greets them, and they worship him. His words, “Don’t be afraid,” echo the angel’s and show that the resurrection brings comfort as well as surprise. He also sends them to the brothers, a gentle sign that the disciples who fled are still wanted and still belong to him.
Verses 11-15: The Guards and the Cover-Up
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)
The guards who were watching the tomb report the events to the chief priests, who respond by bribing them. Their plan is to claim that the disciples stole the body while the guards slept, a story that exposes the lengths to which opposition would go in order to deny the resurrection. Matthew notes that this account was still being repeated among Jews in his own day.
This short section shows that the resurrection did not go unchallenged in the earliest years of the church. It also reminds readers that the truth of the empty tomb did not depend on the goodwill of its opponents. The priests could pay for silence, but they could not make the events disappear from the record.
Verses 16-17: The Mountain and the Doubt
When they saw him, they bowed down to him, but some doubted.
Matthew 28:17 (WEB)
The eleven disciples travel to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had told them to go. When they see him, they bow down, yet Matthew admits that some still doubted. The verse is honest about the mixed response, and it gives readers permission to recognize that faith and uncertainty can exist side by side in the same heart.
The mountain setting recalls the Sermon on the Mount earlier in the Gospel, and it places the commission in a place of teaching and authority. The disciples are not asked to have perfect certainty before they can be sent out. They are met where they are, and the ones who doubt are still included in the mission that follows.
Verses 18-20: The Authority and 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 he sends the disciples to make disciples of all nations. Baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit marks them as belonging to God, and teaching them to observe his commands shapes the way they live. The mission is worldwide, reaching well beyond the Jewish audience to whom Matthew first wrote.
The chapter ends with a promise rather than a command: “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” The sending is not made in the disciples’ strength. Their work is undertaken in the company of the one who holds all authority, and that presence is what gives the mission its stability across the centuries.
Key Themes in Matthew 28
- Resurrection The empty tomb and the appearance of Jesus confirm that death has been defeated and that his word is trustworthy.
- Fear and joy The women’s experience shows that encountering the risen Lord can produce awe, comfort, and gladness together.
- Doubt within faith Matthew records that some disciples doubted even as they worshiped, which makes room for honest belief.
- Divine authority Jesus’ declaration that all authority has been given to him grounds the mission in his power rather than human ability.
- Presence and mission The promise “I am with you always” links the sending of the disciples to the ongoing presence of Christ.
Lessons From Matthew 28 for Today
Many people come to faith or return to it with mixed feelings, and Matthew 28 speaks to that honestly. A person who sits in a church pew with questions still running through their mind is in the same place as the disciples on the mountain. The chapter shows that Jesus meets people in that state and still gives them a place in his work.
The commission also shapes ordinary life. A parent teaching a child to pray, a coworker who listens patiently, or a neighbor who helps someone move is living out the call to make disciples in a small and practical way. The chapter reminds readers that the mission is carried out in everyday relationships, not only in dramatic moments.
Finally, the promise that Jesus is with his people always offers steadiness for those facing long seasons of difficulty. When a caregiver works through another sleepless night or a student faces a daunting exam, the closing words of the Gospel remind them that they are not alone in the work they have been given.
Questions for Reflection
- What does it mean to you that the women were told to look for themselves at the empty tomb?
- How do you respond when your faith feels mixed with doubt, and what might it look like to bring that doubt to Jesus?
- Where in your everyday life could you practice making disciples by teaching, baptizing, or simply showing what Jesus commanded?
- How does the promise “I am with you always” change the way you approach a task that feels too large for you?
A Prayer From Matthew 28
Lord Jesus, thank you that the tomb is empty and that you have risen as you said you would. When fear and joy rise up together in me, meet me as you met the women on the road, and steady my heart. Where I still doubt, give me patience and honesty, and keep me near to you even when I cannot see everything clearly. Send me into my own corner of the world with love for those who do not yet know you, and remind me that you hold all authority and are with me always. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the disciples doubt if Jesus had already risen?
Matthew does not explain the reason for the doubt, and he simply records that some doubted even as they worshiped. Many readers see it as a sign that the resurrection was so unexpected that belief took time to settle in the heart.
What is the Great Commission?
The Great Commission refers to Jesus’ command in Matthew 28:18-20 to make disciples of all nations, baptize them, and teach them to obey his commands. It is one of the central mission texts of the New Testament.
Why does Matthew include the story of the guards?
The account shows that opponents of Jesus tried to explain away the empty tomb by inventing a story about stolen bodies. Matthew includes it to show that the resurrection was disputed from the start, and that the false explanation was already circulating among Jews in his time.
