Matthew 28:1-20
Two years ago we had 32 days of Jesus’ Passion and 18 days of His Resurrection. This year we have 18 days of His Passion and 7 days of His Resurrection. I will forever treasure our 2019 walk through the gospels!
Somehow I had always imagined that the guards had already gone to report to the chief priests before the women arrived, but verse 11 has the guards and the women leaving the tomb at the same time: While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. Verse 4 also has the guards and the angel at the tomb together: And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. So the women and the guards and the angel were all at the tomb at the same time. I recall that fear is the immediate reaction whenever an angel appears in Scripture. So that would have been the natural reaction of the women upon seeing the angel: His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. (v. 3) But it seems to me that seeing the guards there at the tomb (even in their “dead men” state) would have helped the women to realize that the angel was real and not a dream and would have helped them to calm their fear.
I will be forever confused on the timeline of Jesus’ Galilee and Jerusalem appearances to the disciples. When and where did Jesus meet the disciples during His post-Resurrection / pre-Ascension forty days? We’ve got the rest of the week to consider that!
See also: December 14 / Matt. 28:1-8; December 18 / Matt. 28:9-15; December 26 / Matt. 28:16-20