- 1In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
- 2And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.
- 3His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:
- 4And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.
- 5And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
- 6He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
- 7And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you.
- 8And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.
- 9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.
- 10Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.
- 11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.
- 12And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,
- 13Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.
- 14And if this come to the governor’s ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.
- 15So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.
- 16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.
- 17And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.
- 18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
- 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
- 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
KING JAMES VERSION
MATTHEW 28
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
CHAPTER VISUAL
Matthew 28 — Jesus rises, meets His followers, and sends the eleven to make disciples of all nations under His enduring authority.
About this illustration
The empty tomb, the women’s joyful report, and the Galilean commission are joined in one dawn panorama. Jesus stands bodily risen on the mountain; no ascension is shown because Matthew does not narrate one here.
Scripture basis: Matthew 28:1–20King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
EXPLORE THE MESSAGE
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Archaeological Evidence
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEInscription
First century BC or AD
Nazareth Inscription: An Imperial Grave-Decree
A Greek marble decree threatens severe punishment for disturbing tombs, but its only link to Nazareth is a collector's note; marble isotopes instead point to Kos and sharply weaken attempts to connect it with Jesus' empty tomb.
Matthew 27:57–66 · Matthew 28:11–15 · Mark 15:42–47
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
AD 586
The Rabbula Gospels
The Rabbula Gospels securely dates a Syriac Peshitta Gospel text to AD 586, while physical analysis shows that its celebrated miniatures were repainted and may have entered the present composite volume through a more complicated history than the colophon alone implies.
Matthew 28:1–20 · John 20:1–31 · Acts 1:1–26
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
Garima 2: AD 390–570; Garima 1: AD 550–660
The Abba Garima Gospels
The Abba Garima manuscripts preserve complete Ge'ez Gospels and late-antique illumination at their Ethiopian monastery, but radiocarbon samples, displaced leaves, modern naming systems, and possible differences between painted and textual components demand careful distinction.
Matthew 28:16–20 · Mark 16:14–20
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEArchitecture
Begun c. AD 313; cathedral complex developed in the 4th century
Mor Yakup Baptistery and Cathedral Complex at Nisibis
Excavation identifies the standing Mor Yakup building as the early fourth-century baptistery of a lost cathedral and episcopal complex in strategically important Nisibis.
Matthew 28:19–20 · Romans 6:3–4
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
5th–6th century
Papyrus P105: Matthew 27:62–64 and 28:2–5
Papyrus P105, P.Oxy. LXIV 4406, is a fifth- or sixth-century Greek codex fragment preserving the request to secure Jesus' tomb and the angelic scene at the tomb in Matthew 28, with evidence of later amuletic reuse.
Matthew 27:62–64 · Matthew 28:2–5
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
9th century
Codex Cyprius (GA 017)
Codex Cyprius (GA 017) is a 9th century Greek parchment codex preserving the four Gospels, with canon tables and other paratext.
Matthew 28:16–20 · Mark 16:1–20 · Luke 24:36–53
View all 13 archaeology resources
- Codex Koridethi: The Georgian-Held Greek Gospels
- Codex Seidelianus II (GA 013)
- Codex Athous Dionysiou (GA 045)
- Uncial 0148: A Leaf from the Ending of Matthew
- Book of Mulling: An Irish Gospel Book
- Codex Rehdigeranus (VL 11): Corrected Old Latin Gospels
- P.Oxy. XV 1786: An Early Christian Hymn with Musical Notation
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View sermon The Church of NASA
In The Church of NASA, Pastor Dean Odle contrasts trust in Scripture with what he describes as an institutional faith in modern space agencies and heliocentric cosmology. He begins with the conspiracy surrounding attempts to suppress testimony of Christ’s resurrection, then argues that powerful institutions can coordinate false narratives and that Christians must test widely accepted claims by the written Word.
Doctrine and DiscernmentChurch and MinistryBiblical CreationApostasy and Deception
View sermon Leadership #9 - Women in Ministry -
Dean Odle argues that passages commonly used to silence all women in church must be interpreted grammatically, historically, and in harmony with the rest of Scripture. He points to women prophesying in Acts and 1 Corinthians, studies the Greek word gynē in its contexts, and contends that Paul’s restrictions address disorder and marital authority rather than a universal ban on women speaking or ministering.
Doctrine and DiscernmentChurch and MinistryHoly Spirit and Spiritual GiftsScripture Alone
View sermon Showing 1–3 of 6 sermons