NOTES for Mat 28:1-20

All four Evangelists begin their accounts of the Resurrection by describing the experience of the empty tomb. The empty tomb must both prepare the women who brought spices to understand Christ's victory and express its essence: the tomb is empty; death is no more. The angels, for whom Jesus' Resurrection is far more natural than His death, tell the astonished women: “He is alive; He is life itself. Why do you seek the source of life in a dark tomb? He could not leave you for long—you will meet Him soon.” And they do meet Him. He still values their freedom: one may doubt, but one may also believe—truly believe, even while seeing Him face to face—and take part in His fulfillment of the Father's will, in the salvation of the world, and hear the final words of Matthew's Gospel, which in themselves are already Good News.